


Strange Bedfellows

by Dmonius



Series: Cosmic Love [4]
Category: DCU
Genre: Kryptonians invaded Earth, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-16
Updated: 2012-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-31 07:30:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/341543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dmonius/pseuds/Dmonius





	Strange Bedfellows

Tim felt the pressure of a hand on his cheeks and woke up the moment after, slowly opening his eyes to look into Ivy's greenish face. He looked left and saw Barbara “the Cheetah” Minerva at her side; both women were holding him while was shaking because of the fever that spread the Arkham Asylum. He breathed heavily and narrowed his eyes a bit to get a clearer and closer look and the Cheetah. In the back, he saw the remaining tower of the Arkham Asylum, the prison he had been left to die.

“Cute boy,” she said with her British accent becoming apparent. “Such a pity. Can't you do anything for him?”

“My resources are fairly limited,” Ivy replied. “And there are other, more powerful meta-human who can protect us more fiercely than this boy.”

“This boy,” the Cheetah said. “Has a stunning wit; he can help us get out of here instead of just protecting you from Two Face or the Penguin's minions which I can do _fairly_ as well. I'm immortal and you're immune... so let us work together.”

“I've not been gifted as much as you were, _Cheetah_ ,” Ivy said, stressing the other meta's name. “I'm not so sure whether he's worth it or your quixotic plans.”

Tim saw how the Cheetah suddenly grabbed Poison Ivy by her throat and pressed it lightly. “You,” she said. “Have the resources to help and heal him. Do what you have to – or I'll take care of you and try my luck with someone else... understood?”

Tim closed his eyes and started to sleep again.

***

Kon stood at the large window pane of the mansion his father had given to him after the attack of the Rebels on the skyscraper in Metropolis; he breathed heavily and closed his eyes while the set of the sun was lowering, finally leading into the night he wanted to cherish.

He heard a knock on the door and ordered the person to come in.

“Hello, dear,” his mother said while she sat down on his bed.

“What do you want, mother?”

“Nothing,” Lois said. “What is it you want, son?”

Kon turned around and sat next to her on his bed. “I saw him, mother,” he said. “I saw him that night I was eavesdropping Luthor and Waller. He was just a short hand's width away from me.”

“And he got away. Again.”

“Again, yes. I need to find him.”

“Why do you... need to find him, honey? He betrayed you, didn't he?”

“I think I love him, mother. And even though he did, I need to now he's safe, that is safety is ensured. I don't know where my father put him.”

“Oh, yes, we had that. I remember. Go, find him. There's nothing to stop you.”

“He can stop me.”

“You mean your father.”

“Who else?”

“The Batman for example. But only because the Amazon is clearly a Wonder Woman, right?”

“You're ridiculing me. You could be helping.”

Lois took his hand and squeezed it. “What do you want me to do, honey?”

“Find him, mother. Find him, so I can get him back. Please.”

“The only thing you needed to do, honey,” Lois said and embraced him. “Was to ask.”

***

Tim woke up again and the first he was to notice was the gone heat and how easily he could breathe now. It felt far too good and he tried not to open eyes to gain the chance for appreciation and consternation. Then, he felt the feline hand of the Cheetaah on his cheeks, and when he looked into her eyes, he knew that what he had experienced beforehand hadn't been a dream at all.

“Hello, boy,” the Cheetah said. “What is you name?”

“Tim,” he just said. “For yours, I don't need to ask.”

“It's Barbara Ann Minvera. I'm an archaeologist – you don't learn that in the news, Tim.”

“Where's Ivy?” Tim sat up on the blanket Cheetah had laid him on.

“She's gone,” Cheetah said. “She created a potion for your safety and cured you before she broke off and went into Harvey Dent's protection.”

“So I guess I'm now under your protection?” Tim asked.

“You're a smart boy. That's right. I protect you now, and I don't think I do this because I'm generous.”

“So tell me – what's the reason you wanted my safety ensured?” Tim asked.

“I know who you are, Tim. You're Robin,” Cheetah said and pressed her hand on his lips to prevent him from any denial. “I saw you on the vids and the way they treated you when they dumped you at this place made it crystal clear to me. I know Wonder Woman very well, and I know that The Batman would not chose anyone who couldn't do the job to be his right hand. That's why I kept you alive.”

“You want my help to escape this place,” Tim said with a look at the ruins of the Arkham Asylum.

“Exactly. I cannot penetrate the security, but with our both wits and abilities, this won't be much of a problem. I'm not a villain and you aren't either. If we get pass security, I'll take you to Wonder Woman and the Resistance.”

***

Kon landed on the roof of the second-tallest building where his cousin Kara was already waiting for him; nevertheless, he ignored her the moment after he landed and ordered the soldiers in his company to get a shower after the successful completion of the mission.

“So, how was your day, Kon?”

“Great. Let's just say that Red and Green Arrow and their minions won't be much of our business for some time, okay?”

“I hope you don't develop inhibitions when it comes to dealing with the Resistance, cousin. Oh, I'm just kidding.” The blonde Kryptonian smiled at him and pulled him closer to walk slowly with him along the roof; Kon, still in his red and blue armor, could even smell the scent of Kara's perfume on her white silk dress and lowered his head to avoid eye-contact with her. He had seen the red wings of hers when she was in battle, and he respected her pretty much.

“What do you want?”

“Lois said she wanted to see you. It seemed to be very important, but she wouldn't tell me,” Kara said, implying her question without hesitation.

“I see,” Kon said. He pulled himself loose and walked towards the elevator. “I think I'm the one to know.”

“Kon,” Kara said before he had reached the door.

“Yes?” Kon asked; he didn't bother to turn around – she probably would have had the red wings again hat would have scared the hell out of him.

“Be careful which track you'll take.”

“I always am.”

***

“What did you get for me?” Tim asked eagerly when the Cheetah appeared out of the shadows.

“An energy core for the computer unit you have been working on,” she answered while she sat down next to him and handed him the unit.

“And...what about my friend? About the second Barbara?”

“You mean the Oracle? Nothing. I guess she wasn't sent here.”

“Probably,” Tim sighed. Since the arrest by Kal-el himself, he and Barbara had been separated and now, being healthy and strong again all he wanted to be in her presence again. Especially because she was probably the only person in the world competent enough to help him break the shield around the Asylum. Scum and villains, all undesired, abhorred and left for dead, had created a second society inside the complex; mostly, there were three groups, centering around The Joker, Two Face and The Penguins, even though there were a few outsiders like him and Cheetah or Clayface or the Ventriloquist who didn't do any harm and were mostly left for dead.

“It seems,” Cheetah said. “That the Joker and his wife have rekindled their relationship.”

“The Joker with Who?” Tim didn't look up, but tried to wire the core together with the computer he had found on the landfill next to the energy shield around the Asylum.

“Her name's Harleen Quinzel,” Cheetah informed him. “She's as insane and vile as he is and likes this whole clown-issue the Joker has adopted. Even though she's clearly wearing make-up.”

“Picture it,” he said then and smiled at her. “Those two having babies.”

The Cheetah laughed and replied: “The boy's name would be Punch...”

“...and the girl's Line,” Tim completed and focused on the unit again.

It took both of them quite some time until Cheetah snorted – the secret sign to keep quiet and not to move until she snorted again. Tim remaind still for the remainder of a few moments until Cheetah snorted again and jumped into the air faster than he could see.

As such, the young guy whom she brought in out from the bushes, couldn't see her either and when Tim had grabbed a dagger, the other boy could already feel the claws of the Cheetah at his throat and the hissing sound escaping her mouth made even Tim shiver.

“Identify yourself,” he said for her. It was all part of the trained scheme they had invented the day their fellowship was founded.

“Keep this thing off me,” the other boy said and got a growl and the immanent caressing of Cheetah's claws instead.

“I tell you again and only more time: identify yourself. I can't bid her anything.” Tim shrugged his shoulders and looked bored away – but only for a second. Tim's eyes fell on the stroke of white hair the other boy had in his very dark hair and felt curiosity about him who had tried to sneak around their little camp. He was only a few years older than him and his clothes revealed that he had been sent here not so long ago.

“Didn't you...hear?” Cheetah asked. “Identify yourself or you won't need to anymore.”

“My name is Jason,” the boy said. “I'm the Red Hood.”

***

Kon hovered in the air a few miles away from the Arkham Asylum and tried to focus his super view on the ghetto Tim had been placed in – according to the secret contacts of his mother. Nevertheless, the energy shield prevented him from seeing anything which was why he kept on floating through the air in his armor and tried to get a clear thought in his mind. If he stayed here, there wasn't much he could do and going inside the complex – even if anonymously or unanonymously – was completely out of question.

At this very moment, all he could feel for a moment was the pressure of a lasso around his throat and the painful struck of lightning a second thereafter. He could actually feel how the lasso pulled him down next to a blonde girl with a mask who was also hovering in the air. She didn't hesitate for a second and punched her right elbow right against his chest, so he fell down again.

Before he could even move again and fly up to her, she pulled at the lasso around his throat and awaited his return to the upper level with a first with whom she hit him against the chin and forced him to fall down against earth.

When his body had reached the ground, she landed on his lap and knocked him out without any further hesitati


End file.
